Gain More Flexibility In Your Swing

One of the most vital aspects to a golfer’s swing is their range of motion.  There is an optimum range of motion or flexibility that is needed to swing a golf club around your body. It is essential to maintain the correct posture and keep your eyes on the ball. The body is made up of many components and is a long chain made up of many links. If you have a problem or restriction within or between the links you have to compensate elsewhere. This can cause pain in certain areas and a poor performance. Movements will then be insufficient and power will be lost. There is a greater amount of risk when flexibility is poor. The most common areas where there is damage due to poor flexibility are neck, shoulders, back, hips, knees and ankles. All the soft tissue within the body needs to be able to move freely to prevent over compensation and injury to other areas. By reaching your optimal flexibility it makes it easier to maintain a better posture and the axis of rotation. By doing this is keeps the club on the proper path for square contact. Flexibility promotes a more consistent, efficient and powerful swing by:

Reducing unwanted compensations. 

This is when one part of your body has to stretch further as there is a restriction in another. By doing this there is a large amount of stress on certain areas and can result in injury. For example: restricted hip motion causes excessive spinal rotation and or shoulder movement and vice versa. And if the hips back and shoulders are tight, excessive head, arm and/or wrist movement occurs, all of which can alter the swing plane, posture and cause injury in those areas.

Maintaining posture. 

Flexibility can help with your posture throughout the swing. Miss hits are more likely when you are unable to maintain your spine angles. By this happening other postures will be lost at the ankles, knees, hips and trunk.

Full unrestricted shoulder turn. 

By being more flexible you are able to have a bigger and more controlled shoulder turn. Having a bigger shoulder turn you can generate more power and distance

Body awareness is very important when looking at a golf swing. There are sensors in muscles, tendons and joints that communicate body position, direction and rate of movement to our brain which then provides immediate feedback to alter a movement if necessary. When a movement is restricted this communication is less than optimal and performance can be compromised.

How do we become more flexible? 

The simple answer is stretch! No matter what sport you play stretching and warming up is essential. For the body to move more efficiently a warm up is essential and stretching is part of this.

A golf swing is very dynamic and stretching techniques help with the efficiency. Stretching must be an important part of you pre-golf routine. So, before hitting balls on the range or teeing off, it is important to stretch. Old or current injuries, especially those involving the spine need to be taken into consideration. Speaking to a sports specialist or PGA Professional to design the right flexibility program for you would be wise.  There are various stretching exercises that can easily be adapted and used in your daily routine.  

Along with a comprehensive stretching routine, you can support your body internally with CBD products designed to promote joint health and flexibility. Because CBD products directly target irritated nerve receptors in the body, they naturally reduce inflammation and desensitize pain. Therefore, it is extremely beneficial to consume a CBD supplement right before and right after a long day on the course to help your body restore itself promoting movement back toward homeostasis- balance in the body. Benefits of using specifically designed CBD products for athletes helps your body to:

1. Warm Up Faster

When paired with essential oils and cooling menthol, topical applications of CBD initially have a cooling effect, quickly followed by warmth. This means you can soothe your muscles quickly by massaging in VitaFlow Sport Recover directly onto the affected area. After 5-10 minutes you can then properly stretch before your match or warm up (and loosen up) faster during the prep phase before hitting the course.

2. Relaxes Muscles & Builds Endurance

When our bodies are dealing with pain or under any kind of stress, inflammation is the natural response. But because CBD is antispasmodic, it has muscle and vascular relaxant properties which alleviate muscles spasms. Plus, the addition of essential oils into the mix means your muscles simply can’t resist! And if you’re consistently working on increasing stamina or raising weights at the gym, muscle pain and recovery time won’t slow you (and your goals) down. Instead, you can workout for longer without that familiar discomfort setting in.

3. More Flexibility, Less Joint Pain

Because CBD naturally reduces pain, it also helps with increasing flexibility in joints. So if you are playing 36 holes of golf in a day- you can expect lessened pain in those usually sore joints as you move. So while it’s quite common to wait until after-the-fact to seek solutions to discomfort, give your body a helping hand to reduce potential pain and get more out of your physical activity—again use before your tee time, and after!

Live Life In The Flow!

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